Kare no haru (His Spring)
by Kora Uchiha
Summary: Orochimaru has heard of Sakura being Tsunade's prodigy and wants her to join and ultimately help cure him. Hoping she can do what Kabuto and Karin cannot, Orochimaru sends Sasuke to retrieve her thinking she would comply with the boy she desperately wants to come home. Rated M for language, violence, and strong adult sexual themes. Please review/message me if you like it! Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**This takes place in canon all the way up to right before Sasuke puts together team Hebi (Taka). Orochimaru has heard of Sakura being Tsunade's prodigy and wants her to join and ultimately help cure him. Hoping she can do what Kabuto and Karin cannot, Orochimaru sends Sasuke to retrieve her thinking she would comply with the boy she desperately wants to come home. I hope you all enjoy, and reviews/messages are very encouraged and so appreciated!**

" _ **Feeling used, But I'm still missing you and I can't see the end of this-and now all this time is passing by**_

 _ **But I still can't seem to tell you why it hurts me every time I see you. Realize how much I need you**_

 _ **I hate you, I love you**_

 _ **I hate that I love you**_

 _ **Don't want to, but I can't put nobody else above you" I hate you, I love you – Gnash**_

"You heard me, Sasuke."

The snake's voice pierced Sasuke's ears. He heard what he had said, but could not believe it. It was a ludicrous mission.

"No."

"This isn't up for discussion. I-" Orochimaru burst into gurgling coughs, spewing blood over his hands and bed sheets.

He was lying in bed, looking paler than normal and obviously in pain. Kabuto at his side, Sasuke standing in front of the rock door glaring at his request.

"She can't offer you anything more than Kabuto or Karin can."

"Yes my boy, I believe she can. You see, she has been studying under a former teammate of mine. Tsunade has undoubtedly taught her well. I have even heard rumors that young Sakura has surpassed her teacher." More coughs, more blood. He obviously was making his condition worse with speech.

Sasuke grunted, "Fine. I won't promise you she'll comply."

"I care not of her compliance. If you can't take her kindly, take her by force."

The Uchiha prodigy had had enough. He turned towards the door.

"If you don't do as I ask, I will have to send my other disciples to fetch her. Except I would ask for her head to be brought to me.."

Sasuke could hear the smile in the snake's voice.

…..

"Sakura, what's wrong?"

The flamboyant blonde abruptly stopped leaping through the branches of the thick forest in order to let his teammate catch up. She had been distant the entire mission, like she was completely lost in her own thoughts.

She stopped on the branch he landed on, "Hm? Oh it's nothing. I just..I feel like we're being followed. But not really us..it's like it's following just me. I've had this feeling for days now."

Naruto answered with a flat slap on her back, earning him a grimace from Sakura, "C'mon now Sakura you haven't had a good night's sleep in days you're imagining it. I haven't sensed anyone's chakra ever since we left. You're fine, promise!"

He was right, she hated to admit. She had been up until the early hours of the morning helping at the hospital. They were shorthanded and in desperate need of good healers. She loved the hospital. Being busy kept certain people from entering her thoughts. A certain person from entering her thoughts.

She smiled a quick false one, "Yea, I guess you're right."

Tsunade offered them a simple mission; escort a young lord who was visiting the leaf back to his home in the land of waves. To most ninja, this was a pretty serious one. For Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, it was child's play.

They had delivered the young man and had begun the trip home when the feeling of being watched was driving Sakura insane.

They stopped for the night in a small clearing within the wood. They laid out their mats and all slowly let sleep come over them. Sakura's mind couldn't stop racing.

 _I saw a stream a little ways back, maybe some cold water will do me good._

The stream wasn't as far back as she first thought. Just a couple of minutes walking through the narrow trees brought her to it. It was beautiful, clear blue in the moonlight. It reminded her of the one in the forest of death. In the most unlikely place, there was still something so beautiful. Sasuke and Naruto had caught them fish to eat there; in the midst of heated arguments of course.

Her expression dropped and a lump caught tight in her throat as his name bled into her thoughts. He had slipped in without her even meaning for him to. She audible sighed "Sasuke.."

She stared at her reflection in the water. She wasn't the skinny twelve year old he left. She wasn't weak. Not anymore.

"I wonder where you are.."

She cupped her hands into the water and splashed her face. It was so cold it heightened her senses and sent a shiver down her spine. After clearing her eyes of water, she noticed a reflection that wasn't her own.

 _No._

She whirled around, kunai in hand and prepared to pummel who dared catch her so off guard. There was no way the reflection she saw was real. And whoever pretended to be him was going to pay for it.

She turned to meet an open clearing. She could see no one.

"Alright come out!"

Silence.

"I said come ou-"

"I don't think barking orders at your opponent will get you anywhere. You haven't changed. You were always all bark and no bite."

The velvet that slipped off his tongue hit her ears in a way that made her furious. It was him. She didn't imagine it. And he was there to toy with her.

Though surprised, she didn't drop her guard. She couldn't trust Sasuke, not anymore.

"Sasuke?..It was you, you were the one that's been following me" her voice didn't match her stance. It came out too surprised and vulnerable, childlike.

He walked through the brush, into the moonlight. Her voice visibly caught in her throat. He had grown even more since she last saw him at the underground hideout. So much more masculine, and tone. His dark purple sleeves shirt showed just enough bare chest to make her palms sweat.

His expression was blank, "Come with me." He confirmed her suspicions.

"Huh?!"

"Orochimaru has requested you. I need you to come to his western hideout."

"Like hell! Are you crazy? Did you really think I'd just say yes and follow you?"

He paused for what seemed like several minutes. The silence grew thick, Sakura's ears began to ring.

"I'm taking you back. With or without your compliance."

Sakura smirked, "Y'know Sasuke? You sound an awful lot like someone I know."

His brows creased, he was growing annoyed.

"As annoying as ever. Always around when he is unwanted."

He couldn't be talking about her anymore, someone must be coming.

"Sakura! SAKURAAA" Naruto's bellowing rasp as a voice echoed through the trees. He burst into the clearing.

"What the hell are you doing?! I turn over and you're gone!"

Sakura could only stare wide-eyed into the brush where Sasuke's figure had been. She had dreamt it. She had to of.

"I think I.." exhausted, Sakura's legs began to shake and buckle, threatening to drop her.

Naruto slung her arm around his shoulders, "C'mon, you need your sleep. You can't overwork yourself like this, Sakura."

"yeah.." she was only half listening. She couldn't help but look one last time into the clearing where he had been just moments before. Knowing she'd see nothing, her eyes caught a glimpse of two red lights. Two angry red lights. No, not lights. Two sharingan eyes. It really was him. He was really there, and he was coming for her. She felt her eyes roll into the back of her skull, and succumbed to unconsciousness.

…..

The morning heat woke her before she was ready. The sun boiled down on her cheeks and seeped through her eyelids. She groaned, forgetting where she was.

Kakashi and Naruto were packing up and getting ready to head out towards Konoha. She figured they were going to be polite and let her sleep in. She wished she could thank them, for everything they have done for her. Her heart swelled. She couldn't imagine finer teammates, a finer family. Except one with him in it.

She violently physically shook the thought out of her mind, making her temples throb and her sight go fuzzy. Her team must've seen her fight her internal battle.

"Sakura! Don't get up, I'm just going to carry you!"

"No offense Naruto, but I think I'm just gonna walk on my own. I need to stretch out anyway." She let out a big yawn and exaggerated her stretch.

Naruto's expression melted, "Oh, well okay" he covered it up with a small grin.

She answered his grin with a smile of her own, happy he didn't force the option of being carried on her. She wanted to slip away again. To make sure she truly wasn't hallucinating last night.

The trio continued their leaps through the forest for hours, stopping for small snacks and a lunch (for Naruto's never ending appetite).

On their lunch break, Sakura decided to take her chance.

"I saw a cute little medicinal store back up the road, I think I'm going to check it out and pick some things for Lady Tsunade" she attempted to make her voice as cheery and inconspicuous as possible. But it came out just odd. Kakashi noticed.

"That sounds good! I need a break from these damn trees, I'll go with you!" Naruto stepped towards her.

"No!"

Naruto stopped his outstretched foot. He and kakashi both stared at the kunoichi questioningly.

She threw up her hands in apology, "I'm sorry I'm just not feeling that great right now, I might even throw up on the way. Definitely don't want you guys to see that, I'll be back soon!" and with that awful attempt at an excuse, she ran for it; leaving her team in her dust.

It was a little over a mile to get to the herb shop. She made it there in no time, and without interacting with anyone. There was nothing. No red eyes glistening in the brush. No Sasuke.

She had given up. She was obviously exhausted and gave herself a nightmare, or actually had a severe hallucination.

She solemnly accepted that fact and proceeded to purchase a few things from the herb garden shop. It was small, much smaller than Ino's family flower shop, but still offered some good gifts for her lady sensei.

After picking out her favorites, she approached the cashier's table, only to find she had been the only one in the store.

She leaned over the table to peer into the small back office where only employees and the shop owner could venture, "I'd like to buy a few things if that's okay! Hello?"

She grew concerned, there's no reason she should be alone, unless someone wanted her to be.

She felt a presence behind her. It was close enough to touch her, close enough to kill her.

She tightened her grip on her kunai, and focused her chakra into her palm making it a steadily glowing blue.

The presence took a step further. She drew back, planning to stab through the stomach as she whirled around. But her opponent was far too fast. Faster than even Kakashi. Her hand was grabbed tight and twisted behind her back in a way that should have been painful.

 _Is his guy going easy on me?! I'll teach this jerk how that was a big mistake_

"Who are you? What do you want-" 

"Sakura."

She couldn't keep the air from escaped her gawking mouth in a sharp gasp.

She couldn't see him, so she must've imagined the words that came from the imposter.

Slowly, she turned her head to look at him, praying it wasn't who she thought it was. Who she knew it was. She didn't get a chance to speak. She didn't have a chance at all _._

…

Sasuke had used his sharingan to pull her into unconsciousness. He caught her as her body gave up, and retrieved her for the snake. Lifting her into his arms, he flited out of the shop.

…..

"So?"

The snake's voice was even worse than before, muffled with coughs and spurts of blood.

"I did what you asked." Sasuke spit out the words

Orochimaru and Kabuto shared excited nasty grins, "Good, good. May we see her?"

"She's unconscious."

Orochimaru's face lit up, "Aha! Poor Sasuke had to use force on the girl. I hope she is not beaten too badly?"

Sasuke's anger flared. Beaten? As if he would've beaten Sakura for something like this. As if he would've beaten her at all. The thought of her mangled beneath him, her blood on his hands, made his mouth turn down in a snarl.

Orochimaru noticed.

"Hmm? Why the angry face?"

"Are we finished here?"

"Actually, Sasuke there is something else."

"Then hurry it up, I have better things to do."

"Lord Orochimaru and I, as you know, have been experimenting on different ways to implement the mastery and chakra of the Uchiha into helping us in the long-run." The snake's henchman decided to chime in.

"Get on with it."

"I did not order the delivery of the leaf brat just to help heal me, Sasuke." Orochimaru had something else up his sleeve, that was easy to tell. But how severe his plan was, Sasuke didn't want to guess.

"Then what else do you want her for?" Sasuke's anger was threatening to boil over

"She can give me something no experiment can."

"What are you getting at?"

"She can deliver me a vessel. A vessel may even more worthy than you."

Sasuke's chidori infused katana found its way to Orochimaru's still-smiling face. Stopping just inches away, he chuckled.

"Oh Sasuke, your temper tantrums don't amuse me like they used to."

"Tell me what you're planning."

Orochimaru's patience was growing thin, "I need an Uchiha. She can bear me one of my own. One without such a temper, perhaps."

….

Sakura opened her eyes to darkness. She couldn't be outside, the stars would make the night lighter than this. She closed and opened her lids again, hoping her eyes would soon adjust to the unknown dark.

She felt something cold and hard on her back. It was extremely uncomfortable, and rocky. The floor. It was a dirt floor of a dark, small cell surrounded by thick black rusted bars. She had been captured, that much was obviously. But where?

Her memories began to rush back, Sasuke had gotten his way. He had delivered her to Orochimaru.

How could he do something like this? How can he just nonchalantly offer her up to someone as awful as the sannin? She felt her ears getting hot. She was livid.

The bars wouldn't be a problem for her monsterous strength. She was getting out of her without Sasuke. To hell if he comes home or not. Konoha isn't his home anymore. He isn't the boy she fell in love with.

Her temper succumbed her, and she lunged for the bars.

"I wouldn't."

The disembodied voice stopped her advance. "And why not?" she barked back into the darkness beyond the bars.

A small lantern mounted on the rock wall suddenly lit in a burst of bright light. Then another, and another, and another until the entire jail was lit.

It was still too dim to see him from that far away, but his silhouette was easy to recognize.

"The bars are laced with chakra. It blocks all attacks, and anyone trying to leave from the inside."

"Urgh, why Sasuke?! What's the point of all this?"

His dark eyes widened, like her question had an answer she didn't want to know.

"Answer me!"

He approached her cell, fully entering the light of the flames.

"Do you want out of that cage or not?" his voice was flat. Too flat. He was hiding something.

"Not until I know what lies beyond it."

"I told you why he wanted you here."

"You're hiding something from me, what is it?"

His fists tightened until his knuckles turned white How could he have forgotten how well she knew him? How she could read a lie from him like it was tattooed on his face. She noticed.

"Sasuke, what do they want from me?"

Abruptly, he drew his katana. Instinctively, she began to slowly back up. Away from him. Away from the man he had become.

With one swing, quicker than her eyes could catch, he broke the chain around the door to her cell. Breaking the chakra barrier with it.

"Follow me." Without meeting her eyes he turned towards the exit, obviously expecting her to follow.

The hideout was identical to the one they had reunited in. The underground fortress was particularly larger than the other, and actually even a little nicer and well kept. It was cleaner, despite the barbaric jail she had been held in that smelt of sweat and dried blood.

Sasuke lead her down a long corridor lines with lanterns lighting the way. He stopped at a grand rock door to their right.

"Enter…hmmhahmm" she could have recognized the eerie laughter of the snake sannin anywhere. It made her skin crawl. She didn't want to see him again. She initiatively closed the distance between herself and Sasuke. They arms touched. She had not noticed, but the Uchiha had. He simply looked her direction, and let her dare to stay that close, something he had in the past made impossible for Karin or the sound nin kunoichi to do.

They entered the bedroom, Sakura still close at Sasuke's side.

"Welcome to my home, young kunoichi of the leaf. Sakura, was it?"

"Don't play coy with me. You know exactly who I am. Why else would I be here?"

He returned her retort with a mischievous grin, "I have reason to believe you will help me achieve my ultimate goal…as well as your former teammate's."

"What are you going on about?"

"Sasuke, leave us would you please?"

Sasuke hesitated, and in silence turned to leave. Once he reached the grand door he added, "I will see her in 6 minutes." And slammed the entrance shut with a piercing loud clap.

"Ahaha..Seems as Sasuke has given you a curfew. He does not trust me. Even after all this time."

"You don't know Sasuke at all, do you? He doesn't care about me. He doesn't care about anyone..not anymore."

"Oh? What makes you so sure?"

"Because he brought me here. That was proof enough."

"So, you believe the man he is now is not who he was? Because I believe he was like this all along. You just couldn't see it."

"Shutup! Shutup talking about things you know nothing about! You weren't around until he was a teenager! He was nothing like that before you showed your damn face at the exams!"

"Don't get so riled up little kunoichi. Come to think of it..yes, yes I remember perfectly now. Seeing you again has cleared my memory."

"Memory of what?" she spat back, she didn't care what he had to say. She was too busy pictured her fist breaking his jaw.

"The chunin exams, do you remember? You were present when I gifted Sasuke with my curse mark."

"Yes..I was there for that. For all of that."

"I believe you were the first and only to know for quite a bit at first weren't you? There is a lot about Sasuke only you have seen, only you can understand. Hm?"

"I can't begin to understand the pain..the pain that Sasuke has suffered. I tried to, but it backfired."

"You tried to understand, and he left the village."

"What is the meaning of bringing back up old memories?" her fury was boiling over.

"I believe that if it will be anyone to give Sasuke and I what we want, it will be you. I believe Sasuke knows this too."

Kabuto fiddled with his glasses to hide a slight blush, and a creepy giggle. He had been present throughout the conversation. Idling beside his master, in the shadows.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

The door behind her burst open, sending in a gust of warm air into the murky misty room.

"Time's up."

She turned to face Sasuke, he wasn't looking at her. His face twisted in angst was in the direction of the snake. His sharingan on in all its glory. She was relieved. She found herself unbearably relieved to see him, she felt warmer. Safer. Something she thought she would never feel around him again.

"Sakura."

He didn't have to ask her twice. She quickly ran for the exit, letting him slam the door behind her.

"All of that and I still don't understand why exactly I'm here." She was growing more annoyed every minute she spent there.

"I told you. He needs healing, you can do that for him."

"He has Kabuto for that. I'm sure he can do anything I can."

"Don't undersell yourself."

 _What did he say?_

"Sasuke?.."

"we're here." He had led her to another grand door, much smaller than Orochimaru's and as far away from it as possible.

"Where are we?"

He opened the door to present a large room. It was plain, covered with databooks and ninja studies. But they weren't spread out on the floor and bed like her medical books at home, they were neatly placed in stack s beside the large bed. It had to be Sasuke's room. If the neatness did not give it away, the smell did. His scent covered the room. Fresh pine with sandalwood and a hint of masculinity. It was absolutely intoxicating.

"You'll have to stay here. Unless the cell was more comfortable." Sasuke entered the room with his hands in his pockets. She let her eyes wander. She hadn't been this close to him in so long. She forgot the lines in his biceps. The way his hair shines blue black in certain lights. The way his eyebrows drew up questioningly as he caught her.

She snapped out of her sudden infatuation, "I-uh what? I'm sorry, what was that?" she giggled nervously as she asked him to repeat his self.

Annoyed he continued, "You'll have to stay here."

"But isn't this your room?"

"Yes." He said it nonchalantly, but avoided her gaze.

"Uhm..oh, well okay. Where will you sleep?"

"Here." Again, avoiding her obvious surprise

She blushed heavily, "But-I I mean isn't there like a hundred other rooms in the hidehout?"

"Would you feel safe in one those rooms?" There wasn't a hint of a question in his tone. He knew the answer.

"I'll sleep on the floor."

"No! no I-I don't want to take your own bed from you!"

"You're not taking. I offered it."

Though his words wore kind, his voice was flat. He still wouldn't look at her.

"Sasuke..You know they'll come looking for me. And when Naruto finds you-"

"When Naruto finds me? You have a lot more confidence in the idiot now." He spit out the blonde's name.

"Of course I do. He's actually been around."

To her complete surprise, she found Sasuke vulnerable. Even in the most quick of an instant, she saw him in a raw form.

Her words struck him. It caught him off guard to hear what he always knew she thought. Hearing it aloud was worse than he could have ever imagine. His fingers twitched, his breath caught, he could only imagine what his expression was like. Almost immediately, he collected himself.

"Go to bed. I have things to do."

Turning for the door, he obviously avoided her stare. With the door firmly slammed behind her, and Sasuke on the other side of it, she finally let her tears fall.

Sasuke leaned on the wall beside the entrance to his bedroom for several minutes. Hearing her sobs made his brows crease and his fists tighten, it sickened him. But he could not find the strength to leave. She was under his skin, and he didn't have the strength to run from her anymore.


	2. Chapter 2

**I hope you all are enjoying this story! I have been wanting to publish this since the very minute the episode of Sasuke being found in the underground hideout first came out. I just have not been able to put everything down. Now, several several several years later, I have it! Though my SasuSaku Hiden story does a play one what could be actually canon, this story plays around with everything after the day Sakura and Naruto first come across older Sasuke.**

" _ **You look like a movie**_

 _ **You sound like a song**_

 _ **My God, this reminds me**_

 _ **Of when we were young..**_

 _ **Let me photograph you in this light**_

 _ **In case it is the last time**_

 _ **That we might be exactly like we were.." When We Were Young –Adele**_

Sakura's eyes were swollen and her throat sore from muffling her sobs. She didn't understand at first, why she had tears falling so rapidly. She had kept herself together for so long. So long she hadn't let a tear drop for him in.. But he was driving her mad.

 _Bring me to your own secret hideout only to keep me completely in the dark? Keep me away from Orochimaru and not tell me why? Choose to sleep in the exact same room with me only to act is if I am a burden? Like you can't get away from me fast enough?_

She decided to take advantage of Sasuke's absence. She wandered around his tidied room. It was spotless; nothing wadded up, no trash cluttered on the floor. The exact opposite of Naruto's apartment. She couldn't help but giggle. They were exact opposites. In every way.

She came across a small wooden nightstand beside the bed. It looked handmade. Did he build this? She let her fingertips glide across the cut wood, and found herself looking places she shouldn't.

She pulled the small brown knob of the first drawer in the stand. And there it was.

A few months ago, she had taken a photo with Lady Tsunade and planned to place it in a frame next to their Team 7 picture in her room. She had placed the picture in her kunai pouch strapped on her leg as she searched through the village for a decent frame. She had felt the wind suddenly gust up. She had seen the flap of her pouch open. She had sensed his chakra. She told herself she had imagined it. But when she arrived back home to an empty pouch, she couldn't help but wonder.

And there it was.

She was dressed in her medic uniform. Off the battlefield, she wore a normal nurse's uniform to the hospital. It was a short pure white dress with a large crimson cross on the breast. She was standing beside her master. Hand on Tsunade's shoulder as she sat in her desk in the Hokage's office. They were both smiling.

She reached to pick it up. It had obviously been folded several times over, and felt like it would crumble and disintegrate in her hands.

She heard soft thuds as footsteps came dangerously close to the entrance of Sasuke's room. She quickly threw the picture back into the drawer, slamming it shut.

The quick taps on the door came to her surprise.

"Uh..Who is it?"

"Can I come in?" Sasuke's flat, lifeless voice came echoing through the room. It physically hurt her to hear him talk this way. It was like the boy she knew was completely gone. Like he truly left his life behind that night he left.

"Y-yeah"

He opened the rock, "Are you hungry?"

"No no I'm fine I'm probably just going to get some rest I-" her excuses and lies were muffled by the sudden growling of her stomach. The thought of food made her mouth water.

"Come on"

Sasuke led her to a small kitchen. It was incredibly normal compared to the archaic cavern-like hideout.

He rummaged through the different cupboards, throwing her different treats and edibles.

She settled on a simple bowl of white rice. She scarfed it down immediately, sitting at a small wooden table mimicking the nightstand in his room while Sasuke leaned on the cabinets patiently waiting.

The awkward silence between them was shattered by loud bursts of hollers coming down the rock hall, "What the hell are you saying?! I come all the way down here to see him and he was a new medic? Are you joking?!"

Sakura couldn't familiarize herself with the voice, but it was obvious Sasuke could.

His crossed arms couldn't hide the tight fists he was making. His face twisted into a sour look.

"IT'S A SHE? WHERE IS SHE"

The screechy voice grew closer to them. A red flash flurried by the entrance to the kitchen. As fast as it had appeared, it reappeared in the form of a girl not much older than them.

She had long bright scarlett hair and thick dark glasses. She had a rude look on her features, she was almost instantly annoying.

"Sasuke?! Sasuke did you hear about what Lord Orochimaru has do-"

Her cat eyes found Sakura's emeralds. She cut her eyes in Sakura's direction, immediately furious.

"Who is this?" she was talking to the Uchiha, but her eyes didn't leave Sakura, who was still shoveling rice.

"Sakura Haruno. She is the new medic you were so upset about."

She turned her glare to Sasuke, "Excuse me!?"

"Obviously Orochimaru finds her skills more appropriate."

"Skills? What skills? She's a leaf just look at her headband! And that ditzy pink hair..pink..this is her, isn't it?"

"IF you have a problem with me you say it to my face, I'm right here!" Sakura stood

"Sasuke, answer me. Lord Orochimaru may be hiding it from everyone else, but I know he's entrusted you with the details. I just didn't think he'd actually go through with this."

"Yes."

"Yeah I'm his former teammate. Jealous?" Sakura couldn't help but toy with the red kunoichi.

"You wanna repeat that?!"

"Karin."

Karin knew he was ordering her to stop. She grunted, but stood her ground.

"I always pictured her so beautiful, so worthy. Not with bright ass hair and a shiny billboard forehead."

"What'd you say four-eyes?!" they butted heads, sending annoyance to Sasuke.

"Sakura, let's go."

She followed the Uchiha out of the small kitchen, leaving Karin behind.

"He thinks she's the one? We'll see about that." Though said low under her breath, Sakura still caught what the red-head was saying. She figured Sasuke must have to, due to the frown he wore.

…

He led her back to his bedroom, where he hoped she'd get some rest. She stopped him before he opened the door.

"Sasuke, what was she talking about? What was Lord Orochimaru hiding?"

He finally met her gaze, but he kept it too long. She held his eyes for what felt like several mintues.

"You should get some sleep."

"Stop doing that! Everytime I bring up anything you don't want to talk about you brush me off. It's obvious something is going on and it's even more obvious it's about me."

"Lord Orochimaru wants you to become a part of us."

A simple lie. He knew she'd see right through it, but her exhaustion kept her from picking up on it.

"Like..what he did to you?"

"Yes."

"Oh.."

"Ultimately, it's your choice. I'll see to that." _Damn._

"You'll see to what?"

"If you don't comply with him and stay here, he'll kill you."

"And you'll make sure that doesn't happen?...Why?"

This caught him off guard, "What do you mean why?" he couldn't help but cut his eyes down at her. Why I she questioning him?

"Sasuke, you hate me."

That's why.

After everything he's done, she doesn't trust him. She still believes he despises her and her team. But if that were the case, he wouldn't have had so much trouble leaving. He would've been able to look her in the eyes as she confessed to him that night.

"You dying would be wasteful. Pointless. I don't believe in being wasteful."

Sakura got brave. She slowly took hold of his arm as he continued to attempt to open the door.

"Sasuke, if..if I hold a place in your heart, not matter how small..please..I think I deserve to know."

"You should get some rest." He shoved the door open.

Physically and emotionally drained, she walked defeated towards the small bed.

She took a pillow off of the bed and proceeded to place it at the foot, on the floor.

"I told you, I'll sleep on the floor."

She looked up, confused, "I know, this is for you."

She began setting up a small pallet on the floor for him, and even fluffed up his pillow.

He hadn't had someone make a bed for him in years. He almost had completely forgotten what it felt like. To have someone to care. To have someone at all.

He found himself closing his fingers around her wrist.

"Stop"

"What's wrong, Sasuke?"

"I can do it myself."

Sensing his increasing vulnerability, she smiled and did what he asked.

He had to get out of there. He had to get away from her.

Sakura's lids were growing heavy. The darkness of the hideout made her feel like it was bedtime all the day. Was it even day? What time was it? She understood why Sasuke liked it here. He couldn't realize how long it had been.

Defeated, she began to crawl into the small bed. As the sheets began to ruffle, Sasuke's scent ran out of them. She buried herself in his pillow, intoxicated by the smell.

She heard footsteps lightly tapping towards the door.

"Sasuke?"

"I have some things to do."

He didn't turn to speak to her. He simply walked out, and softly closed the entrance.

Sasuke walked through the dim halls of the hideout, attempting to clear the fog that Sakura put on his thoughts. He couldn't think clearly around her. He never could.

 _Nothing's changed. It looks as if some bonds are harder to break..and some habits harder to shake._

"So, what do you think?'

Kabuto's unsightly figure was leaned against the wall, hiding in the shadow of one of the lanterns.

"About what?" Sasuke barked back

The henchman chuckled, and rose from his lazy position.

"She seems comfortable now. I haven't heard any screaming."

Sasuke flashed him a glare that only made Kabuto's grin widen.

'So, what I'm asking is, are you going to comply with us? Or would you like me to repeat Orochimaru's threat?"

"Kill her. I could care less. I did what you asked."

"Really? You really don't care, Sasuke?"

Sasuke continued walking, past the rogue medic.

"Fine, I guess I'll clean this up myself. It was obviously a mistake bringing her here" Kabuto sighed and brought a kunai knife out of his leg pouch. "I assume she's in your roo-"

Sasuke's katana found Kabuto's throat. It pierced the fragile skin on his neck, drawing ruby droplets of blood.

Kabuto giggled the best he could for a man with a sword at his throat, "Thank you."

"For what?" Sasuke's question was dripping of venom.

"For clarifying something for me."

Sasuke answered with a deep glare, his katana drew more blood.

"If you do not comply, I will kill her. Or one of the sound will, or even Lord Orochimaru himself. They will never stop hunting her down. But if you do, no one will touch her. No one, but you."

Sasuke sliced another part of Kabuto next before shoved his sword back in its sheath. He began walking once more, into the dark.

Kabuto rubbed his sore neck with a chakra infused palm, smiling an insidious grin.

….

Flashback

" _I need an Uchiha. She can bear me one of my own. One without such a temper, perhaps."_

 _Sasuke slowly retrieved his katana._

" _After noticing your, infatuation, at the eastern hideout Lord Orochimaru and I decided on a new approach to giving him his ultimate vessel." Kabuto decided to chime in once more._

 _Sasuke turned his glare to the medic, "What the hell does that mean?"_

" _You were so visibly distraught after being reunited with your little team. I began to think, 'he can't be that upset over a reunion with an old frenemy like the jinchuriki brat.' So I began to recall what I witnessed. I witnessed someone on the leaf's team that caught your eye throughout most of the reunion. Someone you engaged in the most eye contact with. Someone whom has haunted your thoughts every night afterwards."_

" _She means nothing to me."_

" _Really now? In my lifetime, if someone were to truly hate another that much they wouldn't have to repeat it over and over. Besides, if you truly hated the girl, you would've let me kill her instead of doing my bidding for me by bringing her here in the first place. When I spoke of my minions bringing her head, you did not seem too happy..hmm"_

" _Unfortunately, I need this base for a while longer. I can't do that without you. If I disobeyed, you would not have use for me anymore."_

 _Orochimaru burst into a flail of blood soaked laughter. "Oh Sasuke, Sasuke. You are too much! Is that the best excuse you could give me? Aha!"_

" _We'll give you a bit to think it over. If you truly don't care about the girl, we'll kill her and everything will go back to the way it was." Kabuto giggled._

 _Furious, Sasuke headed towards the door._

" _Oh and Sasuke, do be gentle with her. I need a healthy mother."_

End Flashback.

Sakura had easily succumbed to sleep. After apparently receiving enough rest, she woke to an empty room. She silently peered over the foot of the bed to Sasuke's pallet. He wasn't there. The sheets looked as if they hadn't been slept in, and the pillow was untouched.

She couldn't help but frown. Did he really hate her that much? That staying in the same room was just too far?

She took a match from one of the drawers he didn't keep a stolen picture of her in and lit the lamp by the bed.

Letting temptation get the best of her, she found herself holding the picture again.

He was in the village?

He knew she had the picture in the first place?

 _He was watching me._

But why? Had Orochimaru given him this mission that far in advance? It couldn't have been that. He knew what she looked like, he didn't need a picture. He know how irrevocably in love she was with him. That ultimately, she would end up following him anywhere.

The idea made her sick. He hated her. That much was clear. But she couldn't shake the feeling she had around him, and the way her chest hurt when she thought of him leaving her again.

A tear hit the picture, landing on Tsunade's smiling face.

She touched her fingertips to her cheek, unaware she was crying.

"Sakura."

She jumped harshly at the sound of her name. When did he get in here? How did she not hear him?

She was still holding the stolen picture.

"Sasuke…What is this?"

Sasuke mulled it over for a long time, attempting to conjure the perfect lie.

"I had many men looking for you. I needed something for them to know what to look for."

"'She has pink hair' wouldn't have sufficed?"

"No."

She slowly set it back into its place in his nightstand, "Keep it, I don't need it anymore."

That wasn't a lie. He didn't need it anymore. Because the reason he had it, was sitting right in front of him.

"I've got errands to run, and I don't trust you here alone." I don't trust Orochimaru with you here alone.

"Where are we going?!" she couldn't contain her excited for leaving the caves.

…..

Sasuke had a mission to speak with a young lord not too far from the hideout in a large urbanized village. She instantly recognized it when they began to walk its streets.

"I remember this place, this is where our mission was the day…the day I saw you.." she hadn't realized what she was saying until she was in mid sentence. She blushed heavily

"There." Sasuke looked in the direction of a sleazy nightclub to their right. It was dark, the inside had bright neon lights flashing in the same colors as the sunset. With the dark, grew a small chill. He mistook her chill as a sign of discomfort for where they were to head.

"One of his body guards is known to frequent here, we won't be long."

The two ninja entered the club, it was incredibly audacious. It smelled of smoke and skunks, thickened by a constant array of strobe lights and fog.

 _He can't be here undercover. We're still in our ninja gear. That also means he can't be here just to talk either._

Sasuke weaved through the crowd, Sakura close behind holding on to his shirt. She started to notice something odd about the club-goers. One had an awful replica of a leaf headband. Another woman had an extremely skimpy red and black outfit that comically mimicked her own. She even caught a glimpse of a man with two plastic swords taped to his back. They were dressed all as ninja. They were wearing her whole life like it was cosplay.

Sasuke noticed her watching the odd clubbers, "It's an annual party. They dress up to mock us, to make themselves feel safer. You'd feel a lot safer around ninja too if you were used to dressing like them for fun."

Sakura's attention was caught by a young man in a small purple velvet coated booth she could spot just over the heads of the partiers. He wasn't the most handsome of men. He had long sleeked back dirty blonde hair and scraggly hairs he used as a beard. Surrounding him were the most beautiful women she had ever seen, in the smallest amount of clothes she had ever seen. He was also cloaked with bodyguards of plenty. They circled his booth, but not enough to mask him inside. She immediately remembered his face.

"Hey, that's the guy we had to take back home. He was so sweet and innocent when I met him, I had no idea he was like this."

Sasuke looked toward the powerful young man and back at Sakura, "

"You know him?"

"Yeah, he's Haru Fugioka. The young lord of the land of waves. He's who I had to accompany home for that mission."

"He's my target."

"Target?..But Sasuke I thought you were just gon-"

Sasuke's fingers wrapped around her writs, pulling them up above her head. His body forced her back hard into the cold wall of the club. His leg bent and slid between her legs before shoving up, lifting her to his eye level. His entire body covered her. She could see no one. Only his black eyes staring back.

"Can you see behind me?"

His lips were so close to her that she could taste his breath. His closeness and his leg lifted between her thighs were enough to make speaking difficult and her mind fuzzy and fogged.

"W-what was that?" she couldn't let her eyes leave his, they were frozen.

His beautiful onyxes tightened, "Sakura, can you see behind me?"

Slowly, she let her eyes break the contact with his. She could see his target clearly behind him.

"Yes" she choked out the word.

"Is his the brunette guard still looking?"

"Yes."

"Directly at us or around the room?"

"Around the room, he hasn't even looked at me. He's saying something to another guard now. They're leaving."

"Damnit." Sasuke dropped his limbs from her, giving her a scare as she almost fell to the ground.

"I'm sorry, it had to be done."

With his body not pressed against hers anymore, her thoughts were clear. Much more clear.

"Target? You're going to kill him!?"

"Be quiet."

"No! I didn't know you were Orochimaru's assassin now Sasuke what the hell is wron-"

His pale hand found her mouth with a soft clap, "Sakura, this is no time for a discussion of my morality."

She cut her eyes at him, "Are you going to stay quiet? Or are you going to let everyone here know what we're here for?"

She let her face relax, slowly he removed his hold on her mouth.

"We? We aren't doing anything. I'm not taking part."

"Then wait here."

She blinked her eyes questioningly at his request, and he was gone.

She cursed under her breath and set out to find him. Like hell she was going to do what he asked.

Sakura scoured the entire club, but with no luck. The goofy-looking lord and Sasuke were nowhere to be found. She could no longer sense Sasuke's chakra either.

The brunette guard Sasuke had told her to watch before caught her eye in a dark corner of the club. He had obviously gone to fetch his employer and his harlots some drinks. He carried a large silver plate full of drinks and glasses of all different colors. He swiftly knocked on the black painted wall behind him. A piece began to move. Like a door. Like a hidden door.

It was archaic in structure, so it moved slowly. She was able to run through it behind him before it was able to completely shut. Luckily, the henchman wasn't a ninja. He also wasn't very good at being a guard either. He walked silently down the dark hall of rooms while she patiently softly followed. The hallways was long and dimly lit by light purple bulbs in fake lanterns that lined the walls not covered in drapes. The drapes were the same shade of purple, thick and dusty. They seem to be covered other rooms, rooms she'd rather not know contained. She could hear constant heavy breathing as she walked, and it wasn't coming from the guard. And then the moans came.

 _This was an awful idea. And what am I supposed to do when I make it inside this man's room? "Hi by the way, the man I'm in love with is a ninja and he is trying to kill. Sorry." I've got to turn around._

While her mind boggled, she got careless. Her foot had scraped the dirty tile floor to hard, too long. The guard noticed.

He spun around, "Hey!"

Nothing.

"Hm, I could've sworn. Whatever, this is my last night on this stupid ass job I don't care anymore." He slowly turned back towards his destination, a large wooden door at the head of the hallway.

Sakura's screams were muffled by the hand cupping her mouth. Her arms were painfully bent behind her with her capturer's other hand. She had been pulled into one of the rooms coated by the drapes. She was furious, she began yelling and screaming into the hand over her mouth.

"What part of 'wait here' was hard to understand, Sakura?" the voice that entered her ears was harsh. But his lips were brought so close to her right ear that she didn't care. It still sent a chill down her spine.

"Sawssee" she mumbled from beneath his palm.

"Don't move."

She had heard it too. Someone was coming.

The voices came from outside the drapes, they had just entered the hall through the hidden door in the wall.

"Yes, yes we have the finest girls in the nation mind you. I promise they will be to your liking. Please, have a look around. A head of caution, some of the rooms may already be occupied hmm hmm haha." The voice was sleazy, an older businessman type. He must be the owner of the club, or brothel.

A few other deep voice's came from the hall. There had to have been at least four, including the owner. Sasuke could easily take care of them, but would he blow his cover and his mission for this? She remembered how seriously he had took their missions were they were genin, maybe that still hadn't changed.

Slowly, she heard curtains began to be drawn. They'd enter each room, speak for moment, and move on.

They were coming.


End file.
